1. n. [Drilling Fluids]

Pieces of rock that came from the wellbore but that were not removed directly by the action of the drill bit. Cavings can be splinters, shards, chunks, and various shapes of rock, usually spalling from shale sections that have become unstable. The shape of the caving can indicate why the rock failure occurred. The term is typically used in the plural form.

See related terms: cuttings